Dig Me a Well

A New Album Available Now
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Win Cool Merch!

Shutterwax, a band with members from New York to Maine, including one originally hailing from Jolly Old England, is having a contest! From now until September 9, 2014, when you subscribe to our YouTube channel, then like and comment on our new music video "I’ll Fly Away" you will automatically be entered in our Favorite Comments Contest. We will select our three favorite comments and the winners will get:

First Prize: A high-quality Shutterwax T-Shirt (men and women’s both available).

Second Prize: A groovy Shutterwax Coffee Mug. You’ll be the envy of your co-workers!

Tips and Tricks: Be creative with your comments. We enjoy a good sense of humor, so please feel free to be funny, silly, goofy, quirky, eccentric... you get the point! Tell us what part of the song, video, or both appeals to you the most and why. Flattery will get you everywhere!

Do not mention the contest in your comment. We will know if it's eligible or not. If you have any concerns whether it is eligible or not, please write to us at YouTube and we'll let you know.

The contest is now officially open and ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on September 9, 2014. All comments must be submitted before then. All winners will be chosen on September 10, 2014. Prizes will be shipped immediately after the winners have been chosen. Winning entries will be posted on the Shutterwax YouTube Channel.

Members of Shutterwax and their families are not eligible for the contest.

All comments, winning or not, can and may be posted on the Shutterwax.com website, YouTube Channel, Twitter accounts and any other Social Media sites and any paper publications that are pertinent.

If, for any reason, any or all of the products are not available at the end of the contest, which we don’t foresee, we have the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.

Most of all, have fun! We hope you dig Shutterwax as much as we enjoy making music. Good luck!

I'll Fly Away

Apocalypse, Please Be True

Willowman - Demo

Merch

What is Shutterwax About?

From hundreds of miles away, five songwriters converge once a year in Kittery, ME to achieve one goal; an album of music. With minimal pre-written material, they assemble each year knowing they will hash-out in the studio what will become a complete and coherent collection of songs. The core of Shutterwax is (in alphabetic order); Jeffrey Brayne, Jessica Brayne, Harvey Brice, Frank Diorio and Mark Rufino. All songwriters in their own right, the united vision of Shutterwax is pure collaboration; to take skeletons and give them flesh, blood and finally life. A beautiful Frankenstein so to speak. Or maybe an ugly one. Either way, the songs are all truly Shutterwax, unique and fun.

What can you expect to hear from Shutterwax? Just about anything really. They do not limit themselves in any capacity, so you may hear Rock, Folk, Dance, Country, R&B, Surf, etc. on any given Shutterwax album.

With very limited time, usually five days at best, they make a list of all the ideas they’ve had over the past year, quickly listen and evaluate each ‘demo’ or song-snippet for viability, then quickly get to work in a flurry of creativity, writing lyrics, verses, bridges and choruses in whatever style is most appropriate for each song. Every member of Shutterwax brings a very unique toolkit with them as each has years and years of experience playing nearly every genre of popular music. If the song is not fun or creative, it is quickly abandoned in favor of another idea.

The end product is almost always interesting and certainly unique; a complete song is the goal and it’s performed the best way Shutterwax can with the constraints of a two-to-three hour limit on each song. This means two-to-three hours from inception there is a demo then complete basic tracking. Jeff, Mark and Frank are usually working out the music while Harvey and Jessica are writing lyrics, but all have input on all aspects of each song for a perfect balance of influence and sensibility.

Some quick descriptions of a few of the songs you will hear on Dig Me a Well:

"Dig Me a Well" began as a dance track that Mark had written then with a few decisive lyrics by Harvey and Jessica, the song morphed into a Cow Punk anthem complete with Andrews Sister's-type harmonies.

“I’ll Fly Away” started out as a folk-style, smooth, melodic song about an obsessive boy who leaves note after note on his girlfriend’s door in hopes she will soften and agree to let him back in her life. A few minutes on the Shutterwax table and the hard-edged bridge and fundamental support shook away the exterior tolerance and reveals the emotional upheaval that she feels when her point is not understood.

“Apocalypse, Please Be True” showcases Harvey’s wit supported with a beautiful, bouncy melody complete with a George Winston-esque piano solo. Having a sentiment everyone can relate to in the face of a changing world, it proclaims; life can be daunting. Waiting for things to happen for you can bring about your own apocalypse.

"Some Girls" rings eerily with a frenetic minor-key riff and sardonic lyrics about the extreme narcissism found on social networks. The song's summary is a nod to Dick Dale and The Clash with a sinister surf riff over dark and powerful chords.

“Love Beyond Your Means” has a duplicitous dynamic of starting with a saccharine-sweet Hawaiian ukulele-driven melody sure to make the most hardened sentiments soften then quickly turn sour in the realization of unrealistic expectations in love.

We believe there is something for everyone in this collection and truly hope you enjoy your listening experience. We certainly enjoyed creating these. Happy listening! - Shutterwax

Band:

Jeffrey Brayne: Guitars, Ukulele, Vocals, Harmonica

Jessica Brayne: Vocals, Percussion

Harvey Brice: Vocals, Guitars, Melodica, Percussion

Frank Diorio: Drums, Percussion

Mark Rufino: Bass, Synthesizers, Vocals, Engineering

Additional Performers:

Zach Onett: Piano on Apocalypse, Please Be True

Travis Taylor: Bagpipes on American Dream

Bob Wilson: Drums on American Dream

John Rogers: Drums on Willowman

Cameron Brayne: Synthesizers on Willowman

Andrew and Gavin Brayne: Additional Vocals

A huge and special thanks to:

Daniel Cho, Paul Kim, Bob Wilson, Travis Taylor, Zach Onett, Larry Seltzer (aka Lazlo of Blowup Radio), Steve Mancini, Rob Cantalupo and Winnie B. Without their help and support, we’d be just another band in the crowd.

Contact

Feel free to write to either of us. If you need to speak about business, please contact our manager Steve.

Management: steve [at] shutterwax.com

Band Leader: jeff [at] shutterwax.com

Shutterwax is based in Kittery, ME. Come visit and have some lobster. Listen to music.